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Monday, October 12, 2015

Flipping Meetings

Throughout the past year, I have read a lot about teachers "flipping" classrooms. This involves having students watch or read lessons prior to coming in class and then working together during class time as opposed to "getting" information in class and then working on it independently at home. That's a gross understatement of the concept, but that's it in a nutshell. I had also heard about many administrators "flipping" their staff meetings. Get the informational items out to staff before hand and then use the time together to learn and discuss items together. This year, I am in the process of flipping our staff meetings. All (or most) informational items are sent out in bullet point lists prior to the staff meeting and then we use our time together for mini professional development sessions. Most of these sessions are led by our very own experts in the building or throughout the district.

There are several aspects of the flipped meetings that I like. First of all it eliminates me "reading" informational items that could simply be sent in an email. Teachers are busy and their time needs to be respected. Next, it allows our staff members to share out their expertise and collaborate with one another. We have so many teachers who have expertise in technology, literacy, lesson development, and many other areas, that it just makes sense to have them share that knowledge with others. Everyone has something that is worthy of sharing out and I'm hoping this process allows for that. Finally, the flipped meeting format helps model what I want to see in the classroom. It's a switch from focusing on teaching to a focus on learning. It's more interactive and learner focused. It's no longer a "sit and get", but a time to develop new skills. If I'm asking teachers to be creative and more innovative, I need to lead by example.

Flipping staff meetings is one way that I'm trying to be more respectful and creative with the time we spend together as a staff. It also takes the focus off me as the one who disseminates information and puts the focus on the teachers where it belongs and providing a forum for them to share ideas and better their craft. This is a work in progress and I'm sure we will find ways to make it even better in the future, but it's a start. What new things are you considering or trying in the classroom?

Photo Credit: someecards.com

PEARLS OF WISDOM
"I am definitely going to take a course of time management...just as soon as I can work it into my schedule." - Louis E. Boone

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey

1 comment:

Jon, I love that you are trying something new with your staff! You are modeling risk-taking for them, which means more than just talking about it. I'm curious how you decide what your "content" will be with your staff during the meetings. Please keep us updated on the feedback from your teachers.